Writing the Horror Movie PDF
Preview Writing the Horror Movie
Writing the Horror Movie Writing the Horror Movie Marc Blake and Sara Bailey Bloomsbury Academic An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 1385 Broadway 50 Bedford Square New York London NY 10018 WC1B 3DP USA UK www.bloomsbury.com First published 2013 © Marc Blake and Sara Bailey, 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury Academic or the authors. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Blake, Marc. Writing the horror movie / by Marc Blake and Sara Bailey. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4411-9618-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Horror films--Authorship. 2. Motion picture plays--Technique. I. Bailey, Sara. II. Title. PN1995.9.H6B59 2013 808.2’3--dc23 2013006001 ISBN: 978-1-4411-9506-7 Typeset by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NN The truth is that the screenplay is a bastard form of literature. It is not a play nor book nor movie, and not just simply a blueprint for a film. All movies, regardless of genre, depend on the screenplay. However it is the director who makes the movie by realizing the printed words of the script on film. I have seen mediocre screenplays made into very good films. And I have seen excellent screenplays made into bad movies by incompetent directors. Again, it’s important for people to understand that the screenplay’s essential role in film making is the same regardless of the genre of the film. Jon Landis, 20121 The authors of the book would like to thank the following for their help and input. Lee Cook, for his tireless research and pestering of the famous and busy. Michelle Kisbee for her work on the filmography. Stephen Cleary, whose lectures on genre were inspirational. Kim Newman, Axelle Carolyn and Alan Jones for their analysis, perception and excellent writing on the subject of horror in all its forms. Martha Bailey and Tom Bellhouse. Christopher Smith, Steven Goldmann, Victor Miller, Jane Goldman, Stephen Woolley, Jason Ford, Terry Bird and all our other interviewees. Marc would like to thank the attendees of his horror classes at City University, London, including Paul Bland, Eric McNulty, Russell Garwood, Josh Upstart, Dorinda Montgomery, Simon Timblick and the evil twins Samantha and Vicky. Marc and Sara would like to thank all their students past and present at Southampton Solent University for their continued support and enthusiasm. 1 Personal communication. Contents Introduction: Welcome to the Nightmare ix 1 Why Do We Like To Be Scared? 1 2 Horror Movie History 11 3 Subgenres 21 4 Staging the Horror: Five Tropes 41 5 Creating the Nemesis 57 6 The First Act: Unease and Dread, Character and Milieu 75 7 The Second Act: Modulating Fear, Terror and Horror 85 8 The Third Act: Tragic and Redemptive Endings 97 9 Prequels, Sequels and Franchises 107 10 Adaptation: From Page to Screen 119 11 Cross-Genre 131 12 World Markets 139 13 Low Budget Horror 161 14 Forming the Idea: Writing Exercises 181 Appendix 1: Horror Film Festivals Around the World 189 Appendix 2: Interviews with Writers, Directors and a Producer 193 viii Contents Appendix 3: Our Top 20 221 Filmography 223 Bibliography 243 Index 245 Introduction: Welcome to the Nightmare The horror movie is currently experiencing a third golden age, following the Universal Studios Monster era of the 1930s and the movie brat auteurs of the 1970s. Today’s technological advances are allowing scary movies to be produced as a cottage industry and to be distributed worldwide. This genre has traditionally been seen as a ‘way in’ to the movie business and it is a truism that it is a great medium for budding directors and writer-director hyphenates. Horror has a track record of appealing to producers; however, the writer is most likely to get his work seen if it follows genre conventions. It is to this end that this book is dedicated. In order for the writer to sell his script, he must know his craft and understand the demands of the genre. Our intention is to give a thorough grounding in the history, tropes, subgenres, and in particular the pace and rhythm of horror, as well as its underlying meanings and subtexts, so that the writer will be armed and ready to face those legions of undead producers who are after his succulent brainzzz.
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